General-Purpose MCUs

Focus Your Design Resources on System Value Add

Across a number of microcontroller applications, there is an increased need for more performance, either due to increased algorithm complexity, integration of multiple, discrete MCU systems into a single entity or the inclusion of wireless/wired connectivity. The rapid growth of the 32-bit controller market, coupled with ARM efforts to standardize low level software libraries further accelerates the availability of software libraries optimized for use on the Cortex-M family of embedded processors, reducing the learning curve for new microcontroller developers and improving time to market for new devices.

Find out more...

Algorithms are increasing in complexity. For example, the desire to make motors more power efficient and provide more diagnostic information pushes up the CPU performance requirements.

Multiple subsystems are being consolidated into a single electronics board, to reduce system cost, footprint and power.

Platforms that were isolated devices are starting to include wired and/or wireless connectivity. This puts further pressures on processor performance requirements and provides additional challenges to the system designer to ensure high degrees of system security/reliability and embed enough latent performance to support future services that maybe delivered across the network to deployed platforms.

The combination of these three factors has driven growth in the 32-bit MCU market over the past few years at a rate that outpaces by far the growth of the MCU market as a whole.

Over the past few years, ARM has invested significant engineering resources to develop a broad portfolio of processor cores. This spectrum allows our silicon partners to select the processor core that best fits their requirements, from the most efficient Cortex-M0+, the most energy efficient ARM processor available, through the Cortex-M4 with DSP and (optional floating point unit) that pushes the performance envelope compared to traditional MCUs.

With more than 10 billion units now shipped and the Cortex-M technology licensed over 200 times, the processor architecture is broadly understood by software developers, board designers and is well supported by third party companies. This drives increased choice, lower development costs and aggressive system pricing.

OEMs are looking to invest in one architecture and then leverage that investment as broadly across their portfolio of systems for as long into the future as possible. The diverse set of silicon devices, based on a standard MCU processor core enables OEM customers to select the device and vendor that best addresses their requirements, safe in the knowledge that they are not locked into a particular supplier.

The integration of a 32-bit processor can seem like a daunting task for companies with a history designing or utilizing 8-bit microcontrollers or indeed that have only designed analogue circuits in the past. ARM provides a number of physical IP packages, optimized for use at the traditional process nodes used for microcontrollers including 180nm, 90nm and below, that simplify the design of the silicon chip.

Cookies

Cookie settings

We may collect and store information about your visit to our web site automatically using browser cookies (files which are sent by us to your computer) or similar devices which we can access when you visit our web site in future.
Please read our Cookie Policy to find out more about the cookies we use.

You can control the cookies set by this website by using the slider below, and by saving your settings.
These settings only apply to the ARM Website you are currently visiting and any changes you make will not apply to any other ARM websites.

We cannot turn off cookies which fall under the strictly necessary category, as these are essential in order to enable you to move around the website and use its features.
Please read our Cookie Policy to find out how to control these using your browser settings.

Third parties may also use cookies over which we have no control.
These cookies are likely to be performance cookies or targeting cookies.
Please read our Cookie Policy to find out how to control these using your browser settings.